Current Impacts
To see or report current drought impacts, please visit the Drought Impacts Toolkit, where you can find impacts from media in the Drought Impact Reporter, and from citizen scientists and other volunteer observers under Condition Monitoring Observations.
Historic Impacts
No two states experience the same set of impacts during a drought. We developed tables of impacts reported during past droughts in each state for each level of drought on the U.S. Drought Monitor. These state-specific possible impacts complement the general, national possible impacts column of the U.S. Drought Monitor Classification Scheme.
| Category | Historically observed impacts |
|---|
| D0 | Creek flow is low |
| D1 | More wildfires occur than normal |
| Wildlife search for water |
| D2 | Cotton is stressed; supplemental hay for cattle begins |
| Burn bans expand |
| Hydroelectric power output decreases; energy cost is high |
| Ground is cracking, causing road damage |
| D3 | Soybean yields are low |
| Burn bans are implemented |
| Surface water levels are low; boat ramps close |
| Home foundations and walls crack |
| D4 | Fire danger increases |
How well does this table characterize drought impacts in your state? Think an impact is missing? Please fill out this survey to help improve the table.